Vision and objects
The overarching vision of HON is to empower and equip needy and disadvantaged children in Sri Lanka to become valuable members of their communities.
Our primary focus is on orphaned or destitute children residing in Children’s Homes because their families are unable to care for them for a variety of reasons (such as poverty or death of parents) regardless of race or religion.
Our aim, in line with our primary focus, is to improve the wellbeing of communities in Sri Lanka through the relief of poverty and sickness and the provision of educational opportunities.
HON aims to do this by facilitating the enabling conditions that will ensure that the children’s immediate needs for health and safety are met, and provide opportunities for their vocational and educational advancement, so that they may break through the poverty cycle and determine their own futures.
The Organisation
Help Orphans Now is a not-for-profit, voluntary organisation created in response to the generous offers of assistance from the Australian public for aiding children and young persons affected by the Boxing Day Tsunami 2004 in Sri Lanka.
Help Orphans Now is registered in Australia as a public company limited by guarantee, ABN 115 409 204. The Members and Directors of HON administer the company to carry out its vision and objects.
Founding Members of Help Orphans Now
- Sharminie Niles (Lawyer, and Chairperson of HON Board)
- Stuart Miller (Pastor/Administrator)
- Dayantha Fernando (Accountant, and HON Treasurer and co-Secretary)
- Kumudini Abeysuriya (Sustainability Researcher)
- Caryl Velupillai (Administrator)
- Richard Botta (Pastor)
- Chris Hensman (Surgeon)
- Catherine Gray (Lawyer)
- Rohan Rajaratnam (Cardiologist)
Several of the Founding Members have well-established links in Sri Lanka and therefore have a particular understanding of the cultural and socio-political environment, enabling effective delivery of assistance by the organisation.
History of HON
Help Orphans Now was created on the strength of existing strong relationships with orphanages in Sri Lanka, which were forged as a result of the Sri Lanka Orphanages Project that has been operating over the last decade.
Three days before the tsunami, the ABC’s 7:30 Report broadcast a story on the Sri Lanka Orphanages Project initiated by Sydney lawyer and mother Sharminie Niles in 1994 (see transcript).
Following the tsunami, Australians who had been touched by the ABC’s story broadcast on 23 December and follow up report of 10 January 2005 contacted Sharminie with many offers of help. This resulted in the formation of Help Orphans Now as a means of connecting Australian donors with needy disadvantaged children through a transparent interface that could deliver tangible results.
Project partners
The following organisations are key partners with Help Orphans Now in implementing their objects and their support is gratefully acknowledged.
- Premier Australian law firm Gilbert and Tobin is acting pro bono as the lawyers for Help Orphans Now.
- Sydney-based agencies gilda design (http://www.gilda.com.au/) and behind the page (http://www.behindthepage.com.au/) are supplied graphic design and web development services pro bono.
Major donor partners
- Australian company BEST & LESS has been a major sponsor, first for the operation of the Galle Home which commenced in 2006, and subsequently for the purchase of a property on the outskirts of Colombo that enabled the children of the Galle Home to move to a permanent location.
- The Rotary Club of Sydney, together with the Rotary Clubs of Wahroonga and Five Dock raised funds and partnered with the Rotary Club of Batticoloa in Sri Lanka, to provide a new building to accommodate the Jeevananda Home near Batticaloa.
- Westpac Bank (Multi-cultural Unit) organised a fund raising event to re-build an orphanage.
- Schools such as Cheltenham Girls High School (Cheltenham), Epping Boys High School (Epping), Arden Anglican School (Beecroft), MLC Burwood, Tara Anglican School (North Parramatta), PLC Melbourne and Pulteney Grammar (Adelaide) have through fund raisers and other activities have supported the work of HON.
- Apart from the above, countless individuals and groups of individuals have supported the work of HON by making donations in cash and kind as well as significant financial support through fund raisers.
About our logo
The larger orange hand represents the assisting hand of adults and others with great capacity to help; the smaller purple hand represents recipient children and young persons who are able to become independent as a result of the assistance. Orange (colour of the assisting hand) symbolizes energy, warmth, encouragement and enthusiasm. Purple (recipient hand) symbolizes dignity, independence and creativity.
The logo was conceptualised by Rebecca Young of YoungCreations and developed by gilda design.